Sunday, May 26, 2013

Those of us, who have not followed life with sufficient
gravity to become a judge, can always piously adopt a serious cause and seek
elevation to a commission or investigating committee. For others with a shorter
attention span, the advent of social media offers mobs opportunities that the
French Revolutionaries could only dream of.

In 1953 The Crucible, a play by Arthur Miller likened the
House Unamerican Activities Committee (HUAC) to the Salem Witch trials of 1692.
Hollywood operated a blacklist for celebrities falling foul of the HUAC such as
Charlie Chaplin, Orson Welles and Paul Robeson all of whom had to go
overseas to work.

Miller was suspected of being a communist and in 1954 the HUAC
denied him a passport for the London opening of his play.

In 1956, Miller married Marilyn Monroe and was subpoenaed to
appear before the HUAC. Miller did not wish to name, names and the Chairman
seemed to agree to defer that question. Miller then gave a detailed account of
his own involvement with Communism as a writer under a pseudonym. He was later
convicted of contempt for refusing to name, names and was sentenced to a fine
of $500 or 30 days imprisonment. He was blacklisted and disallowed a US
passport. He appealed and his conviction was overturned as the Chairman’s
concession made it unclear that a prosecution would follow.

Witch hunts are just as popular today be it retired light
entertainment celebrities, priests, climate change sceptics or anybody
appearing to step over the bounds of political correctness. Everyone is
entitled to an opinion on these topics provided it is the right one or they
keep it to themselves, otherwise they are attacked too. Names (right or wrong)
are named and vilified.

Amid this, there are people like Miller who dared to lampoon
and Napoleon who perhaps more satisfyingly turned the cannon on the mob, while
sensible people do nothing and keep their opinions to themselves.